HORROR IN PRINT - Gunnar Hansen Tells The Other Side of the Making of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE

The man behind one of the most iconic masked mad men in the history of horror has stepped out from behind the leather and is telling his side of the making of what is possibly the first great slasher film to ever appear on the big screen. Gunnar Hansen, known for unleashing Leatherface upon the world for the first time, has released his autobiography in which he tells his story in regards to what went into making The Texas Chain Saw Massacre the classic that it has become today. 

The official (and rather lengthy synopsis) is as follows: 

When first released in 1974, the terrifying film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was both reviled and championed, seizing the imaginations of audiences and critics alike. From its early days as a controversial cult sensation to its showing at the Cannes film festival and inclusion in the collection of New York’s MoMA, it is now recognized as one of the greatest horror movies of all time, even while mystery and mythology around the film endures.
 
A six-foot-four poet fresh out of grad school with limited acting experience, Gunnar Hansen played the masked, chainsaw-wielding “Leatherface.” Now in Chain Saw Confidential, critically acclaimed author Hansen steps from behind his “Leatherface” mask to tell the true story behind the making of this iconic film. 

Combining his unique perspective with conversations with fellow cast and crew members, Hansen debunks myths and offer fresh behind-the-scenes details on the film’s inventive but often quite dangerous independent production, illuminating insights into the film’s reputation and place in popular culture, and a thoughtful meditation on why we love to be scared in the first place.

Find out:

● What footage director Tobe Hooper cut for being too disturbing
● The psychological ramifications for several of the cast and crew members
● Which actor maintained character for the entirety of the filming
● What major newspaper called it a “despicable film”
● How the film’s marketing as a true-story created confusion and claims that people know “the real” Leatherface, even today.

This film was, and is, more than just a film to me when I was growing up. It shaped my opinions on film, it opened up a whole new world to me just as much The Exorcist and The Omen did a few years before. I mean, I still sleep underneath a TCM poster every night, so I am understandably very excited to get my hands on this and dig into it myself!